Bike and Sail - Spring session 2026 - Athens to Corfu

Start your grand tour of Athens with a proper visit of the Acropolis, the heart of Athens. It hosts many iconic buildings of the Greek Classical age, among them the Parthenon, the Erectheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. 

Complete your walks of major ancient sites with Roman Agora and the Ancient Agora of Athens. 

Find here the Theatre of Dionysus, a classical Athens' main theatre, the first theatre ever built. Many of the great Greek plays were performed here for the first time. 

Get to the best preserved ancient Greek temple, Temple of Hephaestus at the ancient Agora.

Wander through the charming historic district at the foot of the Acropolis, Plaka, with its restored 19th-century neoclassical homes, pedestrianized streets, shops and restaurants, and picturesque ruins from the city's Roman era.

Ten kilometres southwest of central Athens, Piraeus is dazzling in its scale, its seemingly endless quays filled with ferries, ships and hydrofoils. While technically its own city, it melds into the Athens sprawl, with close to half a million people living in the greater area.

The most attractive quarter lies east around Zea Marina and Mikrolimano harbours. The latter is lined with cafes, restaurants and bars often filled with people who've disembarked from their yachts for the day.

- Sail through the Corinth Canal. Its width is just 25 meters and the сliffs will be very close.

- Sign up for navigation lessons. What does the captain need to сlick on the bridge to get through such a channel?

- Cycling to Delphi archaeological site → Return to the Itea marina. On e-bikes much easier.

 - Let's update the photo on the phone against the background of the ruins of the ancient city.

- It was a busy day. It's time to exhale. Dinner on the embankment at the tavern in the evening.
- On the morning of 20.04, we pass under the Rion–Antirion Bridge – a masterpiece of modern engineering that drives economic growth on both sides of the Corinth Strait.

Ithaki is known worldwide as the motherland of Homeric hero Odysseus. The island became a symbol of returning home, as was here that his beloved wife, Penelope, has been waiting for him for 20 years.

Ithaki attracts with its rich archeological heritage. Katharon – the most significant monastery on the island is located north from the capital at the elevation of 500 meters above sea level in Anogi. This is the monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A unique view of the island opens up from its bell tower - Arcadia mountains, Arkhinades islands, eastern coast of Kefalonia and even the entrance to Patra Bay can be seen on the horizon. The coastlines of Peloponnesus and Zakynthos are visible in good weather. Ithaki is a refuge of romantics. Lonely bays, stately calmness, quietness and silence and conciliatory atmosphere attract them here. It is an ideal place to restore spiritual balance.

Kefalonia, the largest Ionian island

Kefalonia is the island of sailors and mountain climbers, Greeks and Venetians, winemakers and travelers. Here stands Enom – the tallest mountain of Ionic islands (1628 m), covered with unique pine trees. Those willing to make a pilgrim tour may get into the Saint Gerasim monastery. There you will find an ancient sycamore tree still standing, said to have been planted by the saint himself. His cave-cell is located under the building of the monastery. Then we shall go for Andrew the First-Called Apostle monastery, the museum with miracle-making icons of Stephano Tsagarol, the Monastery of Saint Crucifixion in Pessado and the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary with benches. It is also possible to pop into the local winery, where six kinds of Kefalonian wine are being made out of Robola grape.

Another excursion will go to the famous Drogarati cave with stalactites, stalagmites and unusual acoustics, due to which Maria Kallas and Luchano Povarotti took the floor there once. Then the observation ground above the famous beach Mirtos awaits us, followed by a lunch in the picturesque nearby village of Agia Efimia. Our trip will end with the visit to the underground lake Melissani; the cave that once stood over it was destroyed during an earthquake. Now the lake is exposed to the sun, which creates beautiful light show on the water with colors ranging from sky-blue to intense dark-blue.

Saranda (or Sarandë) is a vibrant coastal city on the Albanian Riviera, famous for its sunny Mediterranean climate (300+ days/year), stunning Ionian Sea views, beaches, and vibrant promenade. It serves as a major tourist hub, blending ancient history (once called Onchesmus) with modern resort life, acting as a gateway to nearby Corfu (Greece) via ferry and a base for exploring southern Albania's natural beauty, like Butrint National Park. 

Unspoiled scenery

All make wonderful bases for exploring the rolling hills and centuries-old olive groves of the interior, and the wilder scenery of the west coast. Unspoiled coves can be reached by motorboat, while former mule trails lead to sheer limestone cliffs that plunge into the azure sea. Great hikes lead out to majestic Tripitos Arch in the south, and down to Erimitis Beach in the west, beneath a vast wall of crumbling rock, with a potential pause at Erimitis Bar & Restaurant en route.

Enjoy Caribbean-esque beaches and translucent blue brightest waters – the landmark of Antipaxos. Vountoumi and Vrika are main beaches. Do not miss the chance to get to a secluded beach with a tender. Get adventures and cross the whole island through thickets of vineyards and olives. Sit and watch the world go by, the boats coming in and out of the bay at a few nice taverns. Regale yourself with famous Black wine, made of special sort of grapes that grows only here.

Despite being connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway, making it one of the few Greek islands that you can drive to, Lefkada remains surprisingly unaffected by tourism.

Laid-back Lefkada Town is a charming place to spend a day or two, while the hills of the interior still conceal timeless villages and wild olive groves, and the rugged west coast holds some amazing beaches, albeit in some cases badly damaged by recent earthquakes. Only along the east coast are there some overdeveloped enclaves; if you continue all the way south you’ll find stunning little bays and inlets, as well as windy conditions that attract kitesurfers and windsurfers from all over the world.

Lefkada was originally a peninsula, not a true island. Corinthian colonisers cut a canal through the narrow isthmus that joined it to the rest of Greece in the 8th century BC.

Since the 8th century BC the island the Greeks call Kerkyra has been prized for its untamed beauty and strategic location. Ancient armies fought to possess it, while in the early days of modern Greece it was a beacon of learning. Corfiots remain proud of their intellectual and artistic roots, with vestiges of the past ranging from Corfu Town's Venetian architecture to British legacies such as cricket and ginger beer.

• Early morning arrival in Corfu. 
• After breakfast, for those who fly home or stay to relax on the island, there is a farewell to the ship and crew, for those who remain, the sailing holiday continues.